Senate Resolution No. 1990

BY: Senator DEFRANCISCO

CELEBRATING the 50th Anniversary of the
Skaneateles Ambulance Volunteer Emergency Service
(SAVES)

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the State of New York to recognize and
honor those outstanding institutions within our midst that have made
significant contributions to enhance the overall quality and safety of
life herein; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and fully in accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
and recognize the Skaneateles Ambulance Volunteer Emergency Service
(SAVES) upon the occasion of its 50th Anniversary, to be celebrated with
a community dinner on Saturday, May 20, 2017, at the Skaneateles Country
Club; and

WHEREAS, Prior to 1965, ambulance service in Skaneateles was
provided by two local funeral directors, who used hearses equipped with
a cot, small oxygen cylinders, and basic first aid supplies to help
treat patients in their community; and

WHEREAS, Due to costly operations and State regulations, these two
individuals, B.J. O'Neil and Leonard Dell, decided to stop providing
ambulance services in January of 1965; and

WHEREAS, Skaneateles then relied on the Skaneateles Fire Department
Rescue Squad and Auburn Memorial Hospital Ambulance Service until
January 23, 1967, when the Mayor of Skaneateles appointed a committee to
review ambulance services in Skaneateles; and

WHEREAS, After several public hearings with the Greater
Baldwinsville Ambulance Corps (GBAC), the committee made the
recommendation to create an independent organization for providing
ambulance services in Skaneateles; and

WHEREAS, After months of planning, SAVES elected its first slate of
corporate and operational officers on September 7, 1967, and over the
next few months volunteers were trained in basic and advanced first aid;
and

WHEREAS, A permanent home was found for SAVES, after an old cabbage
barn owned by the Village of Skaneateles, behind the main fire station
on Fennell Street in the Village, was turned into a single ambulance bay
and lounge area; and

WHEREAS, On November 24, 1967, SAVES responded to its first call by
transporting a patient who needed oxygen to the Community General
Hospital; and

WHEREAS, December 28, 1967, was the official start date for SAVES,
but the organization had already completed 13 calls to date; and

WHEREAS, In April of 1968, SAVES received its tax exempt status as a
non-profit organization, and in one month's time, SAVES had already
answered more than 100 emergency medical calls; and

WHEREAS, Today, SAVES staffs at least one Advance Life Support (ALS)
ambulance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a second full
ambulance which can be staffed when needed as well as a Medic Car; and

WHEREAS, The primary response district for SAVES is that of the
Skaneateles Central School District, though SAVES also renders mutual
aid to surrounding ambulance districts, and provides emergency and
non-emergency transports, stand-bys at fires, special event EMS
coverage, flu clinics and community education; and

WHEREAS, SAVES provides a variety of emergency medical and community
services to the citizens and visitors of the Town and Village of
Skaneateles and surrounding areas that include emergency medical
response and education; and

WHEREAS, The success of any institution is based on the dedication
of its staff and volunteers, and the outstanding members of SAVES have
devoted countless hours to enhance the safety and well-being of the
residents and visitors of Skaneateles; and

WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Executive Director Jeff VanBeveren,
the members of SAVES recognize that the preservation of life is a sacred
responsibility, and they make that responsibility their own by
sacrificing time with family, and by continuously advancing their
training and knowledge to better serve their fellow citizens; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor and recognize the Skaneateles Ambulance Volunteer Emergency
Service (SAVES) upon the occasion of its 50th Anniversary; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Jeff VanBeveren, Executive Director of SAVES.